Wheel-compressing machine



F. LOUFEK.

WHEEL coMPnEssmc MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ^UG.28| |919- v 1,378,7OQ. Patented May 17, 1921,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- y njlvsNTonl-,`

WITNESSES ATTORNEY F. LOUFEK. WHEEL COMPRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2B, I9I9.

1,378,700. Patented May 17, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

`WITN ESSES ATTORNEY of the invention, referenceshould'be made FRANK LOUFEK, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

wnniin-coivrrnnssme MACHINE.

Application filed August 28, 1919.` Serial No. 320,371.

To all fui/wm t may concern: Y

Be it known that I, FRANK Lournir, a citizen of the. United States, residing at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa', have invented a' new and useful Wheel-Compressing Machine, of which v the following is a specification.

This invention relates to spoke setting or wheel repairing machines, especially to those designed for automobile wheel repair work.` The primary objects ofthis invention are to provide a machine which is adjustable for all types and sizes of automobile or other wheels so as to make repair work quick and easy, which has great strength and simplicity of construction, and which in general is an improvement over all other machines of the type on the market.

The herein described invention is specifically designed as an improvement on vthe machine disclosed in Patent Number 1,296,- 198 granted to me March 4, 1919, the aim being to improve'the construction of the patented machine to make a stronger, simpler and less expensive mechanism which will turn out equally good work.

To arrive at a complete understanding to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention. I do not wish to be limited to the construction disclosed in the drawings, however, but desire to make such changes as may be necessary, provided such changes are within-the scope of the appended claims. In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective viewshowing the complete machine with a wheel clamped therein Fig. 2 is a diametrical vertical cross sec-V tional view of the machine and wheel with the pedestal omitted; l I j Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine spoke clamping mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a detail cross section through one of the arms of the support. Y

In my before-mentioned patent, the main support or framework is formed of four radial arms extending outwardly from a central circular portion, each arm having a rest portion and a ring-supporting portion arranged concentrically with the center of the support and at different elevations.

plied to tli`e` `top of they central portion is a separate base plate on which is formed an annular fiange threaded to engage with a -corresponding flange of a table constituting an adjustable center' restl for the wheel. Fixed `to the rest portion is an inner ythreaded ring to which is 'adjustably connected a threaded annulus. improvements I have dispensed with the ad- In the present justable aiinulus with its threaded ring; I have eliminated the special construction of center rest; have substituted for the arms disclosed in said patent a construction of arm which is of arch formation imparting'great strength to the structure; I have improved the connection between the pedestal and the support, and I have further improved the construction of the means for holding the vehicle wheel to the machine while being operated upon. Though the general principle remains the same, the construction has been much simplified, resulting ina machine which has been found to be capable of withstanding the heavy strains to which machines of this character are subjected.

The numeral 10 in the drawings desig nates a pedestal of any conventional type whose upper end has an annular flange 15 surrounding acylindrical bearing collar14.

'The collar Mprovides a mounting forv ani armed support 20 -which has av cylinder or sleeve 17 mounted to turn about the collar, resting upon the flange 15. The armed support 20' is thus mounted on the pedestalv so as to forni a turn-table.

The support 20 has a plurality of arms 2:2,

vpreferably four, extending radially and upwardly in acurved or arched formation from the sleeve 17. Each arm is Tshaped in crosssecti'on shown in Fig. 5. A boss 30 is formed centrally on the support 2O v and rises therefrom. This boss has a central` screw threaded bore 31 and ,anupstaiid- 'ing yannular liange 32 having external screw threads. The several arms with the.sleeve 17, bossBO' and flange 32 ai'e'all formed in a single casting, and constituteanimportant improvement overmy former patent.y

`A center rest 33 having the *depending internally threaded flange 35 engages with the flange' 32 so as to be vertically adjustable Specification of Letters Patent. vI )atented DIay 17, 1.921.

CAD

ably between 60o and 700. The base or lower end of the conical part 59 is preferably larger in diameter than the ldepending flange 35, as seen in Fig. 2.

The arms 22 rise above the turn table-to a plane nearly level with the upper end of the hub engaging` cone 59. The upper ends 24 of the arms are shaped to provide a ring frame seat Q5, and a bracket 26 having a vertical bore 27 for the reception of a bolt 48. This bolt may be hooked at one end as at 44 and having a wing nut 42 for purposes to be described. I

Upon the seat 25 is a ring frame composed of two spaced rings 37 held apart by the spacing blocks 3S. Each block is secured by bolts, rivets or other means between the rings 37, and there are preferably as many spacing blocks as there are arms to the sup# port. Flanges 40 on the spacing blocks engage with the inner and outer edges of the two rings and help secure the blocks to the latter, Each block is provided with a projecting lug 4l. The ring frame is seated so that the blocks can be engaged by means of the lugs 4l with the hooked ends of the bolts 43. Thus by turning` the wing nuts 42, the ring frame is tightly clamped in place upon the armed support. It will be clear that instead of using the means for clamping the ring frame which has vbeen described, other well known means might be employed, such as the spring clamping lever described in my former patent.

The spaced rings 3T provide a runway or track for a plurality of slide brackets 45. These brackets have a central threaded bore 46, and are held upon the rings by outer flanges 47 and inner flanges 48. The latter have outturned portions 49 which rest upon the outer faces of the two rings and form hook-like projections which guide the Slide brackets in any movement on the runway or track. Each slide bracket receives through its threaded bore a crank or setting screw 50 with a swiveled head 5l and a spur 52 to engage the rim of the wheel. v

A center clamp is provided to hold down the hub of the wheel while being worked upon. This center clamp is preferably a long bolt 53 which extends centrally through the hub and engages with the threaded bore 81 of the boss 3() by means of an enlarged threaded section 5S. The upper section 54 of the bolt is reduced in size, providing an annular shoulder 56, and has threads 55 to hold adjustably an upper hub engaging cone 60, smaller than the lower cone 59, the cone having a. central threaded bore 63. The base of cone 60 faces upwardly. A nut 64 with spokes or handles is also threaded on the b olt 53 and can be screwed down to bear against the base of cone 60 to lock the same in place. Obviously the nut 64 could be made integral with the cone 60, thusperimprovement in wheel compressing machines Y will be readily understood. When a wheel 67 is to be repaired, it is placed with its hub resting upon the center rest and receiving the clamping bolt. The upper cone and nut hold the wheel tightly in place. The height of the wheel may be adjusted by simply turning the clamped wheel or center rest before thev wheel is clamped' thereon. The desired degree of clamping action is regulated by turning the hand wheel, which has the effect of separating or bringing together the two hub engaging cones. Since the threads 55 are finer than the threads 58, turning the bolt 53 more rapidly clamps the wheel than screwing down the nut. The outer ring frame is always on a level with the rim of the wheel so that the spoke compressing means shown in Fig. 4 can engage each spoke where it joins the rim.- The wheel can be firmly held and turned in either direction because of the turn table. Any spoke or any number of spokes can be compressed readily because the slide brackets are movable in either direction along the runway. The ring frame can be removed from the machine with the wheel under compression, and a spare ring frame substituted thus preventing interruption of work. Nearly all sizes of hubs and rims are accommodated with ease in a machine constructed as described. The mechanism is strong, simple, has few parts, and does a great deal of work withthe expenditure of a minimum of time and labor.

That is claimed is l. In a wheel compressing machine, a supportcomposed of a plurality of arms, each armV having a curved or arched formation, said arms rising from a central portion consisting of a depending sleeve, a boss above the sleeve, and an upstanding threaded flange rising from the boss, all of said parts being formed from a single casting, an adjustable center rest composed of a hub engaging conical portion and a depending interiorly threaded Hange engaging with the first-mentioned flange, a hub clamping bolt passing through the center rest and engaged with the boss, and a cone mounted on the bolt above the center rest.

2. In a wheel compressing machine, a support, a boss integral with said support, an upstanding annular flange integral with said boss, a center rest adjustably connected with said flange, said center rest having an integral hub engaging portion, means for clamping a wheel upon said center rest, and spoke compressing means mounted on said support.

3. In a Wheel compressing machine, a support, an upsta-nding annular flange having exterior screw threads and formed integrally With said support, a center rest threaded upon said flange and having an upper end formed like a truncated cone for engaging the Wheel hub, a hub clamping bolt engaging with the support and having a shoulder bearing against the base of the cone, an upper cone mounted on the bolt, and a hand 10 In testimony that I claim the fore oing as my own I have hereto aixed my signa- 15 ture. y

FRANK LOUFEK. 

